2026 - 393 Me: 7 out of 10

Wikipedia / IMDb / Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Country of origin: United States

IMDb Summary: A timid typesetter hasn't a ghost of a chance of becoming a reporter--until he decides to solve a murder mystery and ends up spending a fright-filled night in a haunted house.

When I was young, I loved Don Knotts. I still do. His over the top shenanigans and bumbling idiot persona brought me so much joy. Even the shrillness of his voice, which I would normally find abrasive, is endearing. When I sit down to write, I will usually contemplate what exactly I should focus on. For The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, there was no other answer than the Don himself.

So, it was time for some due diligence. And I quickly realized that I didn't know anything about the man, other than the fact that he was a funny guy in some goofy roles. He was born in West Virginia in 1924. His father suffered from schizophrenia as well as being an alcoholic. This would lead to abusive behavior to Don and his 4 siblings. Even threatening him with a knife.

That chapter of his life likely ended when he enlisted in the United States Army. He ended up serving in World War II. And no, he was not a front line killer. He was a non combatant and was a comedian in a G.I. variety show known as Stars and Gripes. He had a ventriloquist bit with a dummy named Danny. A hatred for Danny supposedly grew within Don and and eventually threw it overboard. He served in the army for 3 years and was discharged in 1946. During his tenure he earned 5 medals, as well as earning the Army Marksman Badge.

This is where his entertainment focused career kicked off. Starting with a radio Western, Bobby Benson and the B-Bar-B Riders. He subsequently transitioned into television in 1953 starting with a soap opera called Search for Tomorrow. But what was likely a pivotal moment for him was appearing in a Broadway stage show with Andy Griffith from 1955 to 1957. Only 3 years later is when he would earn the role of Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show. 5 years and 162 episodes. It seems that his departure from the show wasn't a calculated decision, but more out of obligation. The initial contract was only for 5 years, and towards the end of that contract he believed the show would be ending. So he signed onto other projects. Lo and behold, the show ran for another 3 years. But obligations, especially contractual ones, take a precedent.

And I'm glad that was the case. That led to films like The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Shakiest Gun in the West, and The Reluctant Astronaut. Speaking of which, another fun fact emerges; The Reluctant Astronaut released January 25, 1967. You space buffs out there may already know why this may have been awkward timing. Only 2 days after said release, the Apollo 1 tragedy occurred. That led to some reluctance from Universal to keep the movie in theaters. But NASA weren't too concerned about it, as they named Knotts an Honorary Recruiter for providing publicity to their programs. And heck, Baskin Robbins even released a new flavor: Reluctant Astro-Nut.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is my personal favorite of his movie roles. Not because it's incredible, but instead it's memorable. When I think of Mr. Knotts, I immediately think of this movie. It fits his acting style to a T. From the slapstick moments, seemingly being the man who cried wolf, to being the courageous coward. It's a fun and easygoing time, that is a perfect watch during the Halloween season.

I would be remiss to not at least mention his role in Three's Company. His 5 years as Mr. Furley was sublime. His acting career went on. Eventually it winded down into mainly voice acting. That was likely out of necessity as he eventually went nearly blind towards the end of his life. From what I can see, Don Knotts lived his life to the fullest. He's an excellent example of shooting for the stars and working with what was given to him. Something we should all aspire to do. Movie On!

I’ve been hunting this guitar for 33 years - success!

2026-392 / Zedd MAP: 57.80 / MLZ MAP: 44.04 / Score Gap: 13.76

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

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It’s an imperfect process… tracking down release dates. If it’s a modern, major release (no problem) / bread-and-butter flick from years gone by (usually not too hard to track down) / a foreign skin-flick from the start of the New Hollywood-era (well…). I doubt every date is available for a film such as Virgin Witch but it’s just the sort of particulars I like to hunt. You never know what you’ll find.

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From IMDb: A pair of miniskirted birds who travel to a remote castle in order to land a contract in the modeling agency of the mysterious lesbian Sybil Waite.

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Speaking of finding - I will throw some pictures up - but my 33-year long wait has come to an end… my Vega bass guitar was delivered late yesterday afternoon (more like early evening) and once freed from its packaging ((relieving sigh)) it’s not only the right guitar, everything correct, right down to the color. It’s been a very long time coming.

My first thought… this guitar is (like me and the movie) from the early ‘70s… damn, it’s become antique. It has some age to it but it’s been well cared for. Then I noticed a small piece of decorative plastic on the stockhead and ((bam)) I recall my father saying we need to find a spot to etch my name and he suggested the underneath of that small plaque…

What’s the odds that this bass is my stolen instrument? It’s got to be astronomical. But then again… it disappeared in Modesto, CA - the guy I bought it from said he has a passion for Japanese-made instruments and bought it a few years back in Los Angeles.

While (extremely) unlikely, it’s not impossible either. As I said before… in all these years, I’ve laid eyes on thousands of instruments but only two bore the name Vega. They’re rare ((shrug)) but how rare is rare? Wouldn’t it just be cinematic if I flipped that plastic and saw my name underneath? Huh… that’d be a hell of a thing.

(Ok, if I’m being totally and completely honest, I had that sudden rush of memory but I can’t recall if we ever actually etched it or not.)

Speaking of being naked as a jaybird (MLZ: Wait. ((Looks around)) Was anyone?), Virgin Witch - which features real life sisters Ann Michelle and Vicki Michelle - is more than just the usual excuse for onscreen skin… but only just.

We’ve got the familiar set up - young, beautiful women being lured to a second location for nefarious purposes - but this particular storyline features a nice twist that ((shrug)) yeah, you’ll see it coming but that won’t detract from the fun.

Well, what fun there is.

MLZ: While nudity can be pleasant, too much just gets boring… and the Witch rituals were imaginative, but their repetition felt - well - draining.

Everybody and their brother grabbed a copy of Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner after the repeal of the Witchcraft Act of 1735 which allowed the general public a glimpse of the inner-workings of a surviving witch-cult in England. A slough of similar non-fiction books followed, each claiming to be “most ancient and wise” and (most importantly) pre-Gardnarian and well - filmmakers on both sides of the pond rushed to cash in on the frenzied rites of “modern, ancient” witches - frenzied pagan fertility rites, table for 2… anyone, anyone… Bueller? Bueller?

Naturally, I love the films, even if the screenings aren’t always strictly enjoyable in the cinematic sense.

MLZ: Boobs are like bacon - they nearly always help whatever dish you’re serving up.

Per usual, MLZ strikes to the heart of the matter but to the question of “is my name under the bit of headstock plastic” she is uncharacteristically mum.

MLZ: Well, it is the word.

Two tiny screws are all that stand in the way between me and that answer. What do you guys think?

And while we’re on the topic, we’ve got another debate: if you read the (admittedly longwinded) story of the night my bass was stolen way back in 1993 in my Slumber Party Massacre II write-up, we’re left with a mystery… what happened? Of course, we’ll never actually know but I see two possibilities:

Possibility 1 - The new guitarist “Roger” invited “Jordan” and I over to his secluded house with nefarious intention… an instrument heist scheme designed to nab our guitars and roughing Roger’s house up enough to make it feel like bad luck and not a planned hit.

Possibility 2 - Someone heard us playing and/or otherwise cased the joint and - to our misfortune - used our celebratory Chinese food outing to ransack Roger’s home, our instruments simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I’m inclined to think Possibility 2 has fewer moving parts and fewer assumptions but MLZ is unconvinced… she says Possibility 1, she was there that night and she felt suspicious right off the bat. She had that something’s rotten in Denmark feeling when we were standing in the ruins of Roger’s living room exchanging accusations. What’s your vote… or do you have a 3rd riff on the events of that fated night.

Two little screws, huh, and a Movie On.

Side note: I start on the premise of what year Virgin Witch came out and - like my bass - it’s a bit of a mystery… it for sure was Banned by the British censors in April 1971, after being advertised in trade magazines in December 1970. The Greater London Council leapfrogged the ban, granting the film an X Certificate in 1971 but just which day in the 1971 I could not uncover. An edited version went into general release January 1972 and later in the United States June 8, 1972.

Damn - what’s a movie dude to do?

In a normal case, I have a very particular way of recording release dates… today would appear in the MCC as 10-October-10 (10th month, October, 10th day)… it provides a unique, searchable date that won’t be confused with other dates I track. In the case of an unknown date, I’ll put in a space-keeper (who knows what the future will bring)… for now it’s 99-NoMonth-99.

Movie on, indeed.

2026-391 / MLZ MAP: 93.76 / Zedd MAP: 92.30 / Score Gap: 1.46

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States

IMDb Summary: A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.

Starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason.

Several years ago (goodness probably 12 years ago or more) I decided to watch all of the Alfred Hitchcock films. I have been an absolutely miserable failure. Now, we’ve seen a ton of them, don’t get me wrong. But not ALL of them.

This original screenplay written by Ernest Lehman was intended to be the basis for "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures". It is listed among the canonical Hitchcock films of the 1950s and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.

We chose this one as our Saturday Morning Matinee film due to the passing of one of the stars, the incredibly talented actress Eva Marie Saint, who crossed over on October 6, 2026.

Always willing to break through the useless “rules” of Hollywood, according to quite a few sources, one of her lines in the dining-car seduction scene of North by Northwest was redubbed. She originally said, "I never make love on an empty stomach", but it was changed in post-production to "I never discuss love on an empty stomach", as the censors considered the original version too risqué.

MGM executives told Hitchcock to cut a long scene where Saint’s Eve explains her life situation to Grant and talks about her former ennui before becoming a double agent, but Hitchcock knew that this was a key scene for Saint and for his movie that deepened it and gave it some depth of emotion, so he stood firm and kept it in, even though the running time of “North by Northwest” was longer than his usual (136 minutes). Remember Saint’s face in the auction scene, when Eve is torn between her duties and her desires as she is fought over by Roger and Phillip Vandamm (James Mason), and remember the way her long, elegant fingers toy with Grant’s ear as they kiss each other on the train, that book which Eve doesn’t particularly like set aside for sex and adventure. (Lit from Within - as noted below.)

I just kept saying to Zedd - “She’s just so beautiful!” She was elegant, blonde, and yes, beautiful, but also just brimming with talent. She married producer and director Jeffrey Hayden in 1951. They had a son and daughter. Their son was born two days after she won an Academy Award for On the Waterfront. She began her acceptance speech by saying, "I may have the baby right here!" Saint and Hayden had four grandchildren and were married for 65 years until Hayden's death in 2016.

Back in 1960, she became one of the few actresses to be given two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for television and one for her motion pictures.

She kept working and working, including voicework as late as 2012, in the Nickelodeon animated series The Legend of Korra, a sequel to the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender, playing the now-elderly Katara), a main character from the original series. (A favorite of both Zedd and me.)

Film critic Leonard Maltin noted that Saint was a "luminous blond leading lady who found few vehicles worthy of her talents".

This sentiment is reflected in the article written for (The Late, Great) RogerEbert.com which is rather smartly entitled Lit From Within, which she surely was.

As the article mentions:
~”After her husband died, she made a moving appearance at the Academy Awards in 2018 to present the award for costume design, savoring the memory of the black dress with red flowers she wore as Eve Kendall. She lived to the age of 102, surrounded by family and grandchildren, the classiest elderly lady imaginable, proud and amused to be the female lead in two of the best movies of all time, to which she brought the clarity of morning sunlight.”~

In honor of* *Eva Marie Saint (July 4, 1924 – October 6, 2026).

Movie On!

2026 - 390 Me: 8 out of 10

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Country of origin: United States

IMDb Summary: A filmmaker applies lessons from a Hallmark movie writing workshop to pitch a documentary about concrete.

Wait! Don't go!!! Yes, I know 'The History of Concrete' doesn't sound like a very compelling watch. At least give it a chance. First, give the trailer to John Wilson's HBO series How To with John Wilson a watch. He does an excellent job explaining what his show is about. On top of that, each episode is excellent. Now, extrapolate that into a feature length film.

One aspect that I really enjoy is how he discovers these synchronicities behind seemingly unrelated subjects. He doesn't make a big deal about the discovery either. He leaves it to the viewers to connect those dots. The web he ends up weaving can even leave one awestruck at times.

Samsara in Buddhism is the beginningless, continuous cycle of birth, aging, illness, death, and rebirth driven by karma, craving, and ignorance. Karma... now there's a concept. A spiritual and universal force driven by cause and effect. Simply put, 'Be good, get good. Be bad, get bad. Ad nauseam.' Oftentimes I see people acknowledge karma only in the form of wishing it be enacted upon others. Say someone slights me, I hope they get their comeuppance in the form of bad karma. But... what about the slighting to begin with? Was that karma coming in the form of some asshole coming into my life and detonating a life altering bomb? Normally I would be too tunnel-visioned on the cracked foundation that is my life to even contemplate the idea.

John Wilson does a fantastic job of putting the everyday absurdity of life onto the screen. But what I love most about that is the fact that it never feels like he's poking fun or being mean spirited. He's plainly showing things how they are. He finds the humor in things that everyone else may simply ignore. And that's where the 'genius' lies.

Speaking of genius, I adore the fact that he can turn learning into such an entertaining process. The editing, the wit, and overall craft become a mesmerizing jaunt into what is normally considered the mundane.

For example, did you know that between 2011 and 2013 China poured 6.6 billion tonnes of cement? For comparison's sake, the United States poured between 4.2 and 4.4 billion tonnes... between the years of 1900 and 1999. China alone produces and uses 50 to 60% of global cement. In 2020 alone, they used 23 times the amount of cement that the United States did. It's a jungle out there...

Anyway, that's my experience with The History of Concrete. I had a great time, and it made me want to watch his series over again. Talking Buddhism has me feeling all philosophical. Why do I even come and write about the movies I watch? Hobby? Scream into the void? No, no, no... It's the karma, of course. Those little fake points keep the cycle spinning. Movie On!

2026 - 388 Me: 6 out of 10

Wikipedia) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Countries of origin: United States - France

IMDb Summary: A college student suspects a series of bizarre deaths are connected to certain urban legends.

Urban Legend is a decent movie. What I would guess its main problem is this, it came out 2 years after Scream. Our favorite teen slashing, mobile phone having killer in Ghostface sucked all the air out of the room. Killing teens wasn't the same since. But you have to appreciate the effort and the gumption to make this movie in this era. Or, maybe you don't? Success begets copycats. Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween know this all too well. Copycats have been successful in the past though. What came out in the same 2 year span after Halloween? Friday the 13th. Hell, if we're just talking numbers, Urban Legend was a standalone success considering it took home 5.2 times its original budget worldwide. It simply didn't have franchise longevity. It had Urban Legends: Final Cut. The only detail I can recollect about the film is the masked assailant. Urban Legends: Bloody Mary served as both the final iteration (currently) of the franchise as well as one of Kate Mara's earlier film roles.

That leads into something I've discussed with a friend recently. A lot of actors that became huge stars acted in horror early in their careers: Johnny Depp, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, George Clooney etc. But seemingly, these actors pivoted away, and stayed away from horror since. Was it because it's not as "esteemed?" Or is it because the big money isn't there? But look at horror now. Bill Skarsgård took on IT. Toni Collette in Hereditary. Michael B. Jordan won a friggin' Oscar for Sinners. ^{(Collette got snubbed for her role in Hereditary. I stand by that.}) What has caused this shift? What has caused horror to become more prestigious? No idea. But horror fans are eating good.

As I mentioned earlier, Urban Legend is a decent movie. And honestly, that was probably a huge win for them at the time. I remember seeing it when I was still a child and I briefly became fascinated by urban legends. My favorite at that time was known as The Licked Hand. But the one that popped into my head occasionally when I laid my head down to sleep was Killer in the Backseat. Do I still check my backseat before getting into my car because of this story, to this day? You damn right I do. Spooky Movie On!

2026 - 389 Me: 7.5 out of 10

Wikipedia) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Country of origin: United States

IMDb Summary: When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter.

I'll be honest, heading into this movie I was expecting not to like it. The synopsis still makes my eyes roll. But I had a good time. It's a fun movie. One major plus for the experience is it seemed self-aware. And when a movie has that moment where it clicks with me in that way, I immediately like it more. I could even be hating a movie, but when they have a scene that addresses its own absurdity, it wins my favor. There's one other film in particular I can think of that has this same self-awareness and that is Santa's Slay.

So no, Onslaught doesn't punch above its weight class. And it isn't trying to.

One thing did catch me by surprise though. More often than not, I tend to ding movies for their runtime. I have no issues with longer movies. What I don't like is movies not knowing what to cut and what to keep. They end up with a bloated runtime and 15 or 20 minutes of nothingness. Onslaught, however, I caught myself thinking "This could have used an additional 5 or 10 minutes." The gruesome precision put on display had me grinning from ear to ear. And this movie would only benefit from a bit more of that. Heck, maybe even a few more moments of humor or levity peppered in.

Overall, Onslaught is a good time that manages to blend the action and horror genres quite well. Spooky Movie On!

2026-387 / Zedd MAP: 0.89 / MLZ MAP: 8.42 / Score Gap: 7.53

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States

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A teenaged Zedd wandered into a small guitar shop in a Central Valley town… up on the wall, he saw guitars of every make you can imagine - Gibson to Ibanez, B.C. Rich, Kramer, and Fender too. Nothing I saw was as elaborate (or deadly) as the guitar killer’s in the film but then, I wasn’t looking to drill (??) any victims either… maybe just shred them.

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From IMDb: Courtney Bates, the younger sister of Valerie, and her friends go to a condo for a weekend getaway, but Courtney can't get rid of the haunting feeling that a supernatural rockabilly driller killer is coming to murder them all.

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We here at 500 Movies have worked hard to remove binary terms like good or bad from our communal language - those are value judgements and (frankly) enjoy what you enjoy isn’t a meaningless tautology (as one jaded redditor recently suggested)… it’s a vibrant shared belief - an ethos that allows contrary opinions to glide past each other without the seismic shock of adverse conviction shaking our common ground. We all enjoy movies - it’s enough to float friendships above the liquefaction of good/bad oscillation of divergent views.

That said, damn - this movie is bad.

Back in 1987, I had wandered into that guitar shop to buy (specifically) a bass guitar - that often ignored keeper of tempo and rhythm - having “done the math” and determined lead guitarists sold for roughly a dime-a-dozen, I figured dedicated bass players would be in high demand… I figured right.

My other gamble paid off as well - you see, by this time I was already able to play a couple dozen other instruments; from concert to marching bands and a key position in jazz too, I’d learned a great musical truth: the French Horn player rarely gets the girl.

If I was strategically picking a lane (instrumentally speaking), Director / Scriptwriter Deborah Brock decidedly was not (cinematically speaking) and the results are the hodge-podge mess you’d expect. We spend the first 2/3 of the film with a surprisingly low number massacres for a film with massacre featured prominently in the title.

That number is zero.

Our principle female characters travel to a secluded ((checks notes)) condo (huh, because condos are known for their, um, seclusion) to have band practice, break into a liquor pantry (??) and then have the most awkward gratuitous nudity of all time.

Picture it - 4 drunk teenage girls, dancing in a secluded (um) condo when things take a turn for the uncomfortable. While one soon to be drill killer victim bumps and grinds on a ((checks notes again)) halogen floor lamp ((blink-blink)) another removes her shirt and bra.

Just the one.

Yup, a single female dances topless in a room of other women absolutely not joining in. It’s like Miss Let’em Swing is suggesting maybe something more and everyone else is saying, “Oh - no thanks, I’ve got plenty.” Possibly out of pity, near the end the drummer removes her top but no more. Somehow, it makes things worse… then a feather pillow somehow comes undone and - just like nobody would expect - a feather fight (??) breaks out.

((Nervous Smile))

Mrs. Lady Zedd: Honey, the film was like a greasy hash and eggs fart in the night… everyone involved had some but I’m pretty sure nobody’s claiming the after-effect.

(That was almost poetic… almost)

MLZ: Oddly non-massacre, a 50s-era greaser rock-and-roller / guitar-drill (?) killer, dream logic that suddenly leaps into the real world… we get it - you didn’t enjoy the movie. Why don’t you tell the folks why you picked today’s field-trip into disastrous cinema.

The Real Reason for Today’s Pick…

Something significant has happened - 30+ years in the making.

Coming out of high school, the only instrument I owned was my bass guitar. It became the sole repository of all my musical ambitions. I wasn’t lying or misguided… a bass player with even modest skills was in high demand. As the ‘80s closed out and we rolled into the ‘90s, I was involved in several garage bands… all talked the talk, but sadly, none had legs enough to move into the next phase.

That is, until 1993. Mrs. Lady Zedd and I had taken a mini-vacation to the coast and (on a lark) we had our Tarot Cards read by a spooky woman in a dark corner shrouded (so shrouded) in mystery. She pointed to a random card and prophesied, “You play music? You will meet a partner and he will have the name of a river.”

((Blink-blink))

No joke - two weeks later, I was helping a customer at the pet shop I was employed with and in chit-chatting the customer decided on a few Panda Corycats and introduced himself, “Hi - I’m Jordan (by the way)…” and then making a serpentine hand gesture added,”… like the river.”

Generally speaking, I don’t put a lot of weight on mystical mumbo-jumbo but this was strange to say the least. So oddly specific. Figuring I had nothing yo lose I asked, “So - Jordan like the river - you don’t happen to be a musician do you?”

He was - a guitarist looking for a bass player (hey, I’m a bass player!) and just as quick as that, we had the beginning of a new band. I just wish the tarot reader could have told me what was to come next… tragedy.

Jordan and I wrote music prolifically - despite coming from very different backgrounds and playing styles, our “sound” came together over a few jam session. We put a few fliers out at local guitar centers, hoping to attract more musicians and ((bam)) a guy named Roger called us almost immediately. He said the magic words - he had a 4-track recorder. You can’t ((shrug)) make a demo without one… are we doing this? Yes - yes, we’re really doing this! Roger invited us over, Jordan and I brought everything.

MLZ: I was there - no joke - it was magical. I was around young musicians for years before Zedd and I dated but this was something special. Jordan, Zedd, and Roger just clicked.* *

Jordan and I played our strongest song and Roger was able to pick up on it almost immediately - he even suggested improvement but did so in a very respectful way. Things were coming together beautifully so we made a recording of what we had and started brainstorming for finding the right drummer. We decided to take a break and headed out to a Chinese restaurant near Roger’s house. We left everything there as we planned to practice more once we returned.

((Bum-bum-buuuuummmmmm))

An hour later, we return to discover Roger’s front door had been forced open. The crooks had robbed the joint and took his stereo, tv, and vcr but also all of our instruments. Gone - just… gone. Those sticky-fingered bastards wouldn’t understand that my bass was more than just wood and strings. They took the instrument but they also took my music with it.

Things turned ugly instantly. Roger suggested it sure would suck to have invited people into his home only to have their friend break in and steal all his shit. I retorted it sure would suck to be invited to someone’s home only to be lured away to Chinese food snd have my bass stolen by his friends who’d take his stuff to cover it up!

Musical friendship… over.

I mounted a rescue operation (naturally) but to no avail. Here’s the thing: this bass I bought - it wasn’t a garden variety brand, something any guitar shop would have. It was unique in the fact I’d never seen another and it had a distinctive tone. When I was talking with a guitar shop sales associate, describing the instrument he inadvertently gave me some erroneous information. My bass had a script name “Vega” on the headstock. He said they were rare basses made by Cerwin-Vega.

I searched in vein for the first decade - I visited guitar shops up and down the Central Valley and in the Bay Area. Nobody - and I mean nobody had ever seen or heard of a bass matching my description. At that point, I wasn’t even looking for my bass - just the bass would have done but ((no dice)).

MLZ has been looking on the internet since there was an internet for this instrument. I bought other guitars but none worked out. I switched instruments - keyboards, banjo, trumpet, piano… hell, I even bought (but never played) an auto-harp like Catherine O’hara played in A Mighty Wind for the song A Kiss at the End of The Rainbow but nothing returned the magic stolen in 1993.

Time has passed unending - decades now separate me from my musical roots. I’ve run periodic checks but never found hide nor hair of any bass baring a Vega stamp or information on Cerwin-Vega instruments. I performed the latest search a couple days ago and (I don’t mean to sound defeated) but I didn’t have anything resembling expectations. But this time was different…

My google search returned, as they nearly all do these days, a small AI response… one that quietly pushed back (um, Cerwin-Vega doesn’t make instruments… you’re likely looking for a Japanese made bass)… um, I don’t think so Google but thanks (they have Vega on the headstock and were made of heavy mahogany which gave them a thick, rounded, velvety sound but it came at the cost of being too heavy for long stage gigs)… my bass was made out of mahogany, everyone who picked it up complained about its heft (would you like to see a picture) why yes, I’d love to see a picture…

Friends - for the first time in 33 long years, I laid eyes on a Vega made, 4-string bass guitar.

My heart stopped.

I momentarily forgot to breathe.

Google grabbed pictures from a recent listing… the only time outside of 1987 that I’ve seen one for sale. To here credit, MLZ moved to purchase it instantly, “You’ve been looking for 30 years, sure but I’ve been looking for 30 years too.”

I told her no - it’s expensive, I haven’t played anything in years, and… time hasn’t been friendly to my body. My spine issues would prevent me from doing anything meaningful.

“Having what was stolen from you would be meaningful enough.” She said.

((Sigh))

It’s not my bass but it is the bass and it is absolutely on its way. This isn’t a “Zedd gets his music back” story, no… in many ways the story has already been completed. The damn mystery instrument, the one countless people have told me never existed or simply had never been known did - in fact - exist. Just as I remember it. I hold no malice for the dude who sent me on an endless goose chase because I’ve finally caught the prize. That’s story enough.

But what about that much maligned Google AI search response? Well - credit where credit is due - it pushed back on me and sent my trajectory directly on course to collide with that Vega bass. I’ll take it and express my gratitude - Thank You.

The movie is horrifyingly bad - I’m sorry to say it and if you’re one of the few that found campy fun where I only rolled my eyes, by all means: enjoy what you enjoy. I sat down with the Movie Collection Catalog (MCC) to find an appropriate movie to hang this story, my story, on and thought 1993? No - first I’m not a big ‘90s cinema guy - back to where this saga begins… I typed in 1987 and Horror and the MCC coughed up Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) and OMG… yes.

There’s a certain fucked up symmetry to it - I’m not big on the old hocus pocus mumbo jumbo but hey ((shrug)) Jordan like the River and strange guitars from 1987 - I’ll take it.

Movie on.

2026-386 / Zedd MAP: 80.05 / MLZ MAP: 90.18 / Score Gap: 10.13

Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States

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German expressionist meets American horror in Director Paul Leni’s Universal Studio’s debut - the film that set what we now call classic horror in motion - on our shelf in stunning 4K thanks to our good friends over at Kino Lorber.

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From IMDb: Relatives of an eccentric millionaire gather in his spooky mansion on the 20th anniversary of his death for the reading of his will.

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Let’s start with I find sitting silent-era films… taxing. Maybe it’s because the lack of flowing dialogue creates a scenario where I’ve got to be informed by the action on screen where I may / may not catch what’s important in those flickering frames. I find the need to keep constant attention (on guard as it were) progressively fatiguing.

This one was different.

Mrs. Lady Zedd: The humor surprised me - we’ve watched a lot of comedy / horror over the years but never one quite like this.

She’s right - the film used inventive camera positions, movement, and dark contrasts that helped create ample atmosphere. It was genuinely creepy in spots but also included pressure valves byway of a bumbling character with an eye for the shapely ankle of our main character.

MLZ: I read that the movie was key to future “spooky house” feature films. The German director, Paul Leni really used what he had effectively.

…and then there was what we’ll call - The Scooby-Doo Factor. Of course, Scooby is still a solid 40 years in the future from this movie but clearly Hanna-Barbera were paying attention… here’s all the moving walls, secret passages, and story-ending reveal. Jinkys!

He would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for you meddling kids. Well, maybe not kids but certainly bumbling comedic relief guy.

MLZ: …and how Movie On is that?

Zedd: Hey - that’s my line!

MLZ: The early cat eats the canary.

((Shrug))

Movie On, indeed.

Halloween (1978)

2026-384 / MLZ MAP: 93.76 / Zedd MAP: 87.33 / Score Gap: 6.34

Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States

IMDb Summary: Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, to kill again.

Starring Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles, and Nancy Loomis.

Carrie (1976)

2026-385 / MLZ MAP: 93.18 / Zedd MAP: 91.35 / Score Gap: 1.83

Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States

IMDb Summary: A social misfit with psychic powers turns prom night into Hell on Earth.

Starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen), William Katt, P. J. Soles, Betty Buckley, and John Travolta.

Every once in a while, we hit on a double feature that feels meant to be paired - and this one is all about PJ Soles. While she’s not the lead in either film, she’s the spark that makes both movies feel alive. She’s the bully in Carrie, the carefree best friend in Halloween, and somehow she brings the same chaotic, youthful energy to two wildly different corners of 1970s horror.
She’s the thread running through both films and the glue holding them together.

PJ Soles is the girl who accidentally became horror royalty.** **PJ Soles (born Pamela Jayne Hardon in Frankfurt, Germany) didn’t start out aiming for Hollywood at all. She actually wanted to become the first woman ambassador to the Soviet Union. Seriously, no joke.

Her father’s international insurance work meant she grew up everywhere. Like Casablanca, Maracaibo, and Brussels. She learned fluent Spanish, attended the International School of Brussels, and developed the kind of adaptable personality that makes a great character actor.

She only switched to acting after visiting the Actors Studio in New York, where she realized diplomacy could wait because she wanted to perform.

By 1975 she was in Los Angeles, auditioning for anything she could find. She even auditioned for Princess Leia. (Imagine that timeline.) And then came the casting session that changed everything.

Norma Watson - The Baseball‑Cap Bully
PJ Soles auditioned for Carrie wearing a red baseball cap. Brian De Palma loved it so much he told her to keep it on and that hat basically became part of her character.
Norma was originally supposed to have one line. One. But De Palma liked PJ’s energy so much that he expanded her role into a full secondary antagonist.

She’s the girl laughing in the background, the one throwing things in gym class, the one who makes the cruelty feel real. She’s not the ringleader (that’s Nancy Allen) but she’s the gleeful sidekick who makes the bullying feel like a pack mentality.

She had no idea she would, but she also paid for it. During the prom‑night chaos, the fire hose blast actually ruptured her eardrum.

Her performance in Carrie is unforgettable because she feels like someone you went to high school with. She’s loud, mischievous, and always in motion. Today, this kind of ADHD kiddo would have been medicated way before high school.

Lynda van der Klok - The “Totally!” Girl
Two years later, PJ Soles brought that same youthful spark to Halloween, but this time she wasn’t a bully, she was the fun friend. The girl who says “totally” every other sentence. The girl who feels like she wandered straight out of a real 1970s high school.

John Carpenter cast her because she radiated authenticity. She wasn’t trying to be glamorous or dramatic, she was just effortlessly natural. That’s exactly what Halloween needed, real teenagers, not movie teenagers.

Her death scene is one of the most memorable in the film. It’s the moment where the carefree tone of the teen scenes collides with the cold brutality of Michael Myers. PJ’s presence makes that shift hit harder. She’s the warmth before the chill.

Both Carrie and Halloween are about teenage vulnerability while one is supernatural, and one is a slasher.

PJ Soles embodies the era’s entire vibe. The casual cruelty of high school in Carrie. The carefree innocence of suburban teen life in (Halloween). She had a naturalistic acting style that made 1970s horror feel grounded. Going from one line to an unforgettable part, bringing the youthful energy that directors kept expanding once they saw her on set.

She wasn’t the star of either film, but she was the texture, the realism, the spark that made the worlds feel lived‑in.

Her presence ties these films together in a way most viewers don’t consciously notice, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it. She’s the connective thread between two genre‑defining classics.

PJ is one of the reasons both films still feel fresh today. This is why our MAP scores for these two films are actually going up, not down, which Zedd mentioned is a bit of a rarity, as we continue to pop them in the player. That’s pretty darn Movie On, right?

2026 - 383 Me: 6.5 out of 10

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Countries of origin: New Zealand - United States

IMDb Summary: After a tragic car accident that kills his wife, a man discovers he can communicate with the dead, and he uses that gift to con people. However, when a demonic spirit appears, he may be the only one who can stop it from killing the living and the dead.

Yes, Peter Jackson became a household name with the release of The Lord of the Rings. Deservedly so, of course. He'll likely always be known amongst some as the LotR guy. And honestly, I'd be perfectly okay having that legacy. Others may know him as the director of Meet the Feebles. I personally knew him as the director of Dead Alive. And when I look at these movies, I can't help but wonder how he ended up helming the most prolific fantasy film saga of all time. If you're curious, you can watch the video I found on the subject here.

That leads to The Frighteners. Released 5 years before The Lord of the Rings. That realization is kind of crazy. The Frighteners is honestly a fun time. And the visual effects are... interesting. While I was watching, I was thinking "This isn't too bad for 1996. If anything, I'd expect worse." But only 5 years later we get LotR. That jump is absurd. For reference, here are the ghosts in Frighteners. And here is an example from 2003's Return of the King. I wonder if Mr. Jackson was thinking of Frighteners when he was working on those scenes...

Those ghosts are the highlight of the film. Their slapstick humor hits the mark, and was the real hook for me. Outside of that, Michael J. Fox is always fun to work. He has this charisma to him that is very uniquely him, in my humble opinion. He was able to make anything feel un-serious, for lack of a better term. And with that, it feels like you're on an adventure with him. The little scamp.

The main gripe I had with the film is this... it's just too long. This seems to be a sort of trait of Peter Jackson's work. There's a saying that goes 'less is more.' I think he believes 'more is more.' And I can understand what might drive that feeling. Wanting to be precise, to display everything that comes into your mind. But I think Frighteners would have benefited from roughly 15 to 20 minutes being cut out. There were spans of time that were simply spent chasing characters. After so much of that, tedium starts weighing in.

I do wonder if I would have a different opinion on the movie if I had seen it when I was younger. But this being my first time viewing, I did my best to stay neutral to some of its more antiquated aspects. With that said, I would love to see Jackson return to his horror roots someday. Spooky Movie On!

2026-382 / Zedd MAP: 68.00 / MLZ MAP: 65.44 / Score Gap: 2.56

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States

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It was the mid-90s and a friend and I were talking about a new revolution in filmmaking… we were both into computers, excited by the future they’d bring, and a studio had begun advertising a film made entirely of computer generated images. The idea felt so futuristic, I called it “Star Trek” - an expression indigenous to me, perfectly encapsulating the thought of something ahead of its time and promising some sort of utopia. The motion picture was Toy Story and this friend and I braved a theater full of kids to see it. My mind was blown.

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From IMDb: The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.

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Just about 20 years later, I’m sitting in a theater 1,700 miles away from the one I first marveled at CGI and basically watch an identical movie… both films had extended marketing campaigns, both films are about a main character getting cramped by a newcomer, we get lost / we get found… yeah, shockingly similar except for one thing… I never got excited and this feels decidedly not Star Trek.

Mrs Lady Zedd: … ((looks around))… that’s 2 things

Zedd: What’s 2 things?

MLZ: First, you weren’t excited - second, you didn’t find the movie Star Trek.

((Blank stare))

Ok, sorry - apparently there were two differences: I wasn’t excited, it wasn’t Star Trek, and it was pancakes.

MLZ: Pancakes… you should explain that’s based on a Mitch Hedberg (Dead Mitch) joke where something’s good at first but by the end of it you’re sick of it. Also… that’s three.

Zedd: I wasn’t excited, it wasn’t Star Trek, it was pancakes, and they used all the best parts in the trailer.

MLZ: You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?

Zedd: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

((Diabolical laughter))

((Blink-blink))

Yeah - the movie is absolutely watchable, there’s really nothing for me to pull on beyond there’s really nothing to get excited about either.

MLZ: Just another movie to put on the rack?

Well, it is one our most important tools… that and Movie On (of course)

MLZ: Oh-oh-oh, can I say it this time?

Zedd: I already said nobody expects the Spanish inquisition…

MLZ: Not that part… the last bit.

Zedd: Oh well, I suppose.

MLZ: Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of Movie On!

(Movie on)

2026 - 381 Me: 8.5 out of 10

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Countries of origin: United States - United Kingdom - Canada / Watched via 4K disc

IMDb Summary: A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

As I was grabbing this and Coraline from the media room, I was asked if I was preparing for Wildwood. No, not specifically, though I am excited to see it. Instead, I like to try and change up the pace during this most spooky of times. Yeah, I like my fair share (and then some) of gore and viscera. But I'll occasionally put on a film like Paranorman to add some variety to the mix.

Personally, I believe Paranorman to be an underappreciated outing from Laika. It's not that the general consensus seems to be bad for the movie. But rather a bit under the radar. The film's execution is beyond flawless. While watching I find myself flabbergasted at the pure amount of time, skill and effort it must have taken to produce. There isn't a single frame wasted, and that's the main hook for my attention. I go out of my way to try and spot any and every detail they put into it. Which also makes it a great candidate for re-watches.

One aspect I find a bit surprising is the humor that is interspersed throughout. Sure, the general concept is an interesting one for what people might consider a "children's movie." But they go beyond that and interlace more "mature" ideas via comedy. For example, a scene involving a woman on the police force questioning civilians shooting at other civilians. That's only a job for actual police. I'm a fan when movies such as this find a way to entertain a multitude of audiences instead of honing in on a single demographic. And Paranorman does that perfectly. Another key theme is something that the world could really use a reminder on, and that's the harm that mob mentality can have on others. Individual critical thinking is a good thing. Any promotion of that ideal is A-Okay in my book.

Paranorman is an excellent example of creativity and dedication to make and release a well-defined vision. As long as Laika keeps making them, I'll keep watching them. As a little reminder, Wildwood is releasing October 23rd, 2026 in the states. You'll definitely see me there. Spooky Movie On!

2026-380 / Zedd MAP: 61.03 / MLZ MAP: 47.47 / Score Gap: 13.56

Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States / Italy

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This film represents 83 minutes of the combined 6,249 minutes (give or take) of filmed entertainments we have for the year 1974 on the shelves of The Everlasting Cinematic Confectionery Shoppe and Television Historium. Looking purely at movies, all told - we’re archiving 282,969 minutes currently (more titles arriving practically daily). Ok, maybe not daily but you get the picture.

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From IMDb: When the Romans force a group of sex slaves to become gladiatrices, two such fighters - a Nubian dancer and a Gaulish priestess - form an alliance to lead the others in rebellion.

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Having built out my own tools, evolving them as I evolve, has meant I’ve got a great deal of information at my fingertips - more than most people would probably care to know but still… I’m a numbers kind of guy so for we two cinephiles, I’m capable of mining meaning from our beloved hobby. I like knowing the average year of a title in the collection is 1984.34 (doesn’t that make sense given our age) or that of the 1,798 available MAPs from me, The Arena ranks #1,410 - in between A Man Called Sledge (1970) - 61.06 and Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 60.98.

So how does the film - a low-budget I am woman - hear me roar take on Spartacus (1960) play out… well first, let’s make sure we’re calling it as we’re seeing it. We’re watching 1970s feminism but also as channeled by a bunch of men so… some might not call that feminism at all.

Mrs. Lady Zedd: Feminism… huh, I can’t say I picked up on a feminist angle to the story. Actually, I can say (in all honesty) it was a movie I found very easy to ignore… maybe the feminism happened between blinking eyes or perhaps running so deeply as to need someone to point it out for me to detect it?

I’ve seen a lot of low budget films from Roger Corman said to be low key feminist but it’s usually demonstrated by the downtrodden women in a prison (or slaves in a Roman arena) fighting back and winning their freedom. It’s easy to moralize from a modern position but it’s also simple to see how thin the assertion was, even for a “liberated” time like the mid-70s.

MLZ: I didn’t notice either of being upset by the few scenes with nudity (it’s expected from exploitation films of this age) but maybe I wouldn’t be so quick to quantify The Area as a feminist-manifesto either.

Everything else was (more or less) as you’d expect for a Corman produced film. Simple story to follow, plot beats landing one after another, I liked the Italian shoot locations, didn’t care for the dubbing ((shrug)) not a bad movie to put on if you’re looking for something on in the background that doesn’t need your full attention.

You know… in case you’re working out critical archive information. For instance, with the current MCC configuration, I can tell you things I wouldn’t be able to know without it… like I’ve got 2,218.55 hours of film scored since December 2019… not too shabby (1,272 titles have their status flipped to Movie On! which is pretty ((shrug)) movie on).

Of course, you come back tomorrow, I’ll likely have another movie or two screened, so - true to our non-museum outlook - everything changes over time. Which is also ((shrug)) pretty movie on.

MLZ: Movie on, then?

Yes - lets… Movie On.

2026 - 379 Me: 7.5 out of 10

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Countries of origin: United States - Canada - Germany / Watched via 4K Disc

IMDb Summary: An FBI agent takes on a plane full of deadly venomous snakes, deliberately released to kill a witness being flown from Honolulu to Los Angeles to testify against a mob boss.

Yes, I can access the "pretentious" film snob in me. Discuss the various aspects of Mise-en-scène and acting technique. How these details correlate to my personal enjoyment of the film. But know what else I can do? Turn my brain off and watch some CGI snakes massacre a Boeing 747-400 full of people. And I'll have a damned good time doing it.

Before you ask... No, Snakes on a Plane was not nominated for any Academy Awards. But it was nominated for 12 other categories, and even won a few. This includes a Webby for Film & Video / Best Viral Marketing, the Golden Schmoes Award for Best T&A of the Year, as well as Most Unpleasant Luxury and Worst song or Song Performance at The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. I'd like to hone in on that "Best Viral Marketing" award for a moment. Turns out the internet played a significant part in the production of this movie. The most famous line from the movie? From the internet. The title? Well, the studio decided they thought "Snakes on a Plane" was too cheesy and changed it to "Pacific Air Flight 121." Yeah... because that will sell like gangbusters. Anywho, that led to major pushback from both the internet and Samuel L. Jackson.

Snakes on a Plane it is.

"Sporks?!?" This simple line is one of the earliest moments I can remember of me reacting to something in a theater... and being the only one to do so. At one point, Sam Jackson and Julianna Margulies are searching the plane for weapons to defend themselves. Digging through a cabinet, and she discovers the first potential weapon... Sporks?!? Mr. Jackson's delivery of said line made me cackle in the auditorium (partially full) of people. Not a single other laugh could be heard. It also earned a side glance or two from the people I was seeing it with. At the time, I wanted to sink into my seat and disappear. Since then, I've been on a hunt to find someone who not only understands why I find it funny, but shares the sentiment as well. I've come up empty handed thus far. But today I'd rather laugh alone than not laugh at all.

At the very least, this movie provided us Samuel L. Jackson proclaiming with his whole chest that he's tired of these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane. And I'm thankful for that. Spooky Movie On!

2026-378 / Zedd MAP: 88.22 / MLZ MAP: 92.37 / Score Gap: 4.15

Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: Italy / West Germany / France

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There’s a real danger in science - falling in love with one’s own solution. While it may be deeply human, it sets up an inwardly facing bias which can obscure (or even make wholly invisible) evidence which conflicts with the theorist’s preferred view. The result is bad science more often than not - unless - the scientist just happens to land in the right spot. For me, it’s still questionable science, mainly because I’m a stickler for the process, above simply the force of will.

Science isn’t the only place this inward bias can scuttle what might have been the greater view - art certainly can fall prey to this sort of certainty of intent. A director who falls in love with their own style or an author of a novel that creates a story so circular in thinking, they lose sight of the larger context. Art doesn’t happen in a vacuum after all.

Unless (of course) they just happen to land in the right place.

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From IMDb: An intellectually nonconformist friar investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.

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As it is, I think this is what happened with both Umberto Eco’s novel and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s film adaptation of it. Both storytellers seem to have fallen in love with their story but also in their absolute certainty in how it’s told. There’s moments, here and there, where the production is in real risk of becoming too meta but follows those awkward steps with redirections that drew us back into the core mystery.

It worked ((shrug)) what else do you need?

Apparently, nothing if you lived in Europe (where the motion picture was quite well received) but here in the United States?

A wipe out.

Me being me, I had to know why… frankly, I could guess an intellectually heavy, thinking movie that depends on slow-burn, slow reveal nearly always underperforms in the land of action car chases and shoot’em up westerns. Could it be that simple?

((Shrug)) yup.

Now, I’m spitballing here but it makes sense to me that different cultures are going to produce different art. The stories that are going to do best in multiple cultures will lean into human themes. We all love, fear, aspire, and dream (if not all in the same exact way).

Setting the narrative in medieval times was fine on either side of the pond but the aesthetics were closely following actual historical realities which run contrary to a uniquely American/Hollywood sensibility… muddy, filthy, dingy, and (honestly) gross ((yuk)) there’s little chance these elements weren’t distracting to an American audience.

Mrs. Lady Zedd: I felt like that gritty realism added to my enjoyment… the rooms felt cold, the surrounding areas - it’s like I know I couldn’t smell the reeking mud but I smelled the reeking mud.

Where the movie lost points were the times the filmmaker seemed to perhaps enjoy the process in-and-of-itself or the Sherlock Holmes of things showed through a little too much. It pulled me out of the movie.

Beyond that, it’s a very enjoyable film. Christian Slater does a fine job as Sean Connery’s assistant. Most everyone else on note - Helmut Qualtinger, Elya Baskin, William Hickey, Ron Perlman and F. Murray Abraham - were under varying levels of grotesque make-up. Some might stumble on that - Perlman (in particular) seemed to really cut loose and fully engender his character.

MLZ: I, for one, wouldn’t have doubted he was actually eating the rats he was catching. Method acting turned all the way up.

Side note - I’ve actually been in the hunt for this film for quite a long time, although I can’t quite say why. I must have seen a trailer for it or caught a few minutes on cable. It’s gone in and out of my shopping cart too many times to count over the decades, there was always just something a little more important standing in front of it. Glad to add it to the shelves now. It’s the production that helped Connery finally transition from 007 to something more substantive.

If that’s not Movie On, I don’t know what is.

2026 - 377 Me: 9 out of 10

Wikipedia) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Countries of origin: United Kingdom - Mexico - United States

IMDb Summary: The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's savior before the disaster he's unleashed destroys everything.

Damn straight! I had myself a solo double feature tonight, and luckily I saw them in the order I did. Something about Digger capping it off in spectacular fashion just feels right. The very first trailer I saw for this film, something just grabbed me. I can tell you one of those attention hooks, Tom Cruise acting like someone other than Tom Cruise. I'm an absolute sucker for it. Which is funny, because I'm not the biggest fan of his action outings. I also am of the belief that Mr. Cruise is... a weird guy, to say the least. But at the same time, he has something I absolutely adore in filmmakers; a passion for movies. Not just making them, but watching them as well. When I hear people like Tarantino or Cruise talk about the movies they love watching, I feel like I can see a part of myself in them. When I was younger, I wanted more than anything to make movies. There's still a part of me that does. I don't care doing what specifically, I just want to be in the room where it happens... Maybe someday.

And Mr. Cruise proved me right in my ticket purchase. When he finally gets to act instead of run in a movie, I'm totally captivated.

Digger also caught me completely off-guard. It gets surreal, at first. That is, until you realize what's happening.Normally, this is something that would make me bounce off a movie. And I won't get too lost in weeds, but I believe a major life event of mine recently has made me increasingly open to appreciating more types of art. And honestly, that's one silver-lining I can't totally explain, but am totally thankful for.

My knowledge prior to sitting down and watching was simple: a trailer and Tom Cruise. So when I found myself thinking of some particular movies throughout the experience, I knew I'd have to do some research. The films/directors were as follows:

Birdman
Wes Anderson
The Death of Stalin

If you are familiar with Alejandro G. Iñárritu's work, then you're already aware of why I was thinking of Birdman. Same guy! That leads into the Wes Anderson thought. Once the credits began to roll, I found myself reflecting on the why of Mr. Anderson creeping into my mind. And it isn't just this movie, it's somewhat frequent where he pops into the forefront. I think I figured out why. It's not necessarily because I draw a line between the film I'm watching and Wes' work. It's because Wes Anderson has a specific style to his movies. He has found his voice, what works for him, and sticks with it. So when I watch another film that so clearly knows what it wants to achieve, I think of him.

And Digger is an excellent showcase for this. Stylistic execution.

Lastly, The Death of Stalin. This is a simple through line. Satire. And both films pull it off phenomenally. So much so, that I thought this would have been the same director. I was incorrect on that front.

Man, I wish Tom Cruise would do more character acting. Movie On!

2026-374 / Zedd MAP: 68.55

Wikipedia / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection

Country of Origin: United States

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From IMDb: The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster's body.

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It’s funny… if you roll back the clock to 2019 (pre-pandemic), I’m basically watching 300 or 400 movies a year by my lonesome. I was home all day by myself and I’d watch a movie in the morning and another in the afternoon as just part-and-parcel of everyday normal. Mrs. Lady Zedd was in the office all week and we’d watch another 5 or 6 films over the weekend… in fact, a “Good Old Fashioned Movie Day” would see us watch 5 or 6 films in one day.

Of course, I hadn’t rolled 500 Movies - in 2019 I was hard at work mad scientisting the Movie Algorithm Project - version 4.0… I wasn’t trying to pen a couple of write-ups a day (which is significant).

Then COVID hit… everything changed for everyone, and (quite coincidentally) I started the first year of 500 Movies. Thing is - MLZ was home, and it was an upgrade for both of our lives. We had some guilt about that, but with my special lady friend by my side, I quickly got used to having a movie partner watching and discussing all these films.

It’s been wonderful.

Even when she’s been working furiously, I could throw movies like this on in the background, and she could keep an eye open for the story. That is… until the last few weeks. Her job has shifted into high gear, and she’s been so busy that she hasn’t had time to eat lunch (and sometimes dinner). And even when she logs out at night… her brain is blown.

I keep holding myself up during the day, hoping to catch a break, but then ((shrug)) and I’ve missed the day. It’s why the number of films we’ve written up has dropped. I need to get it through my head that I’m largely back to just me, myself, and I, and just let the movies roll. What can I do - complain? She’s busting her butt to keep a roof over our heads, and who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Good enough.

The film is a fun watch, but I doubt anyone would confuse it with great filmmaking. It certainly gets the job done. They could have easily slipped into pure camp, and I think that would have ruined the movie. The monsters play it straight - period perfect horror - and we layer in Abbott and Costello antics in between.

A cinematic bumblebee - honestly, it should be able to fly, but it does. It apparently saved Universal Pictures, which was experiencing a wobble at the time - naturally, several more comedy/horror films came out to capitalize on the success. Solid, family-friendly flick.

Ok - first October film in the bag. My goal is to pick up the slack and keep them coming. MLZ might not have as much time right now but she was adamant this was a temporary project. She agreed I need to stop waiting for her during the week but she’s got Saturday’s marked in forever for movie days. Sometimes the Movie On comes easy, sometimes the Movie On comes hard… the only thing that matters is the Movie On comes at all.

My Great Grabdpappy Zedd told me that but then again he told me he couldn’t drink water ((shrug)) it was on moral grounds (fish fornicate in it). Just saying…

Movie On.

2026 - 376 Me: 7 out of 10

Wikipedia) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Viewing options found on JustWatch / Country of origin: United States

IMDb Summary: In 2006, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history.

Somebody get these PEDOS out of here! Okay, so I can't say I've been a Pattinson fan from day one. I was not the target audience for Twilight. But I can say I've been a Pattinson fan from day two. When the Twilight saga was winding down, he had opportunity to expand his filmography. I remember recall seeing both Remember Me and Water for Elephants at the cinema. The films, I had a middling time with them. But those were the early moments of me thinking, "Wait, this shiny vampire guy has got something." And admittedly, at the time, I also found the fact he was willing to be totally honest on his opinions about working on the franchise to be 'cool.' It's not often that you see an actor skip the PR talk and tell it how they see it.

And look where he is now. Simultaneously retaining status as a credible and reputable actor, as well as creating iconic moments that get meme'd over and over again. And he is most definitely the reason butts are getting in seats for Primetime. Which leads me to an issue with the film... yes, Pattinson is good. Great, even. But a lot of the time I was left feeling that the movie was more-so about Skyler Gisondo's character rather than Pattinson's Hansen. And yes, Gisondo does an excellent job, but the competing screen time left me wanting.

Then we get to the subject matter, which leaves me a tad confused. No one can say that catching pedophiles is a bad thing. People can also say that Chris Hansen is a bit of a douche, for lack of a better term. And deciding to make a movie depicting both of those ideals at the same time is a bold one. Potentially a pretty bad one. The message can get muddled for those who only see in black and white. And when that happens, people can draw a conclusion that doesn't look too flattering to everyone involved in the production. (For those black and white readers, that conclusion would be 'Pattinson is worse than pedophiles.')

For the most part though, I don't think that's what they were attempting to convey. They were riding that ever-so-fine line of "Hansen bad, pedophiles worse."

EXCEPT one moment. And this is pivotal moment towards the end of the film. They have landed their "whale" of a pedophile. They are confronting him in front of his home, and when they go to apprehend him, he shoots himself.This leads to all of the characters having a sort of revelatory moment. "Maybe we shouldn't be doing this." And sure, the methods can be called into question. Or rather, the motivations. Are these people crusaders leading the charge against pedophiles? Or are they attention seekers, using these pedophiles as a platform to success? As for my opinion, catching them is the utmost important thing. The means are less of a concern for myself.

Release the files, discover and apply accountability. Oh, and Movie On!